Anniversary
by Sushi Chi
Summary: Don's going to see how Charlie is coping with the anniversary of their mother's death. [oneshot]


**Disclaimer: Sorry, I don't own Numb3rs. Or Charlie, Don, Alan, or Margaret. So, being as I don't own them, don't ask to borrow them from me, and please don't sue me.  
A/N: Don's going to see how Charlie is doing on the anniversary. He remembers other times when their mom was gone.  
Warning: A couple bad words. Actually, same word. Just said twice.**

**

* * *

**Don walked into the garage slowly. He knew what day it was. He just needed to check in on his family. Especially Charlie. He had never taken well to when his mom left. 

And being as it was the second year anniversary of her death, he was worried remembering what happened the year before.

Don walked into the house, smelling food. His dad was in a cooking frenzy for the day. His brother probably in another frenzy - a math one. He wanted to check in on him. Just to make sure that he was alright.

"Dad?"

Alan looked up from mixing something, "Donnie." he said quietly.

"Where's Charlie?"

"I think he's up in his room. I don't remember seeing him at all today." Alan said, then he thought about what he just said, "It's 5 pm! I haven't seen him at all today!" He put the mixing bowl on the counter as he and Don went up into Charlie's room.

Don threw the door open and looked around, not seeing anything unusual. Except that Charlie was no where in sight. Alan walked in after him, looking around and after a few moments, he finally saw his youngest. "Oh. Charlie."

Don turned and saw his brother in the corner of the room crying. He walked up to his brother slowly. "Hey, Buddy."

Charlie looked up and sniffed, "Hey, Don."

Alan walked over to his youngest. "You alright?"

Charlie shook his head, "No."

Alan nodded, "Me neither."

Charlie smiled slightly as Don looked around his brother's room. Beside Charlie on the wall, written in sharpie was a math equation. Charlie saw his brother staring at it.

"I s-stopped before I got to d-deep."

Don plastered a smile on his face, "I'm glad you stopped yourself." He was really worried about his brother. Even if he did stop himself this one time. Don was worried about next time.

This time. This year. What if he hadn't stopped himself? Don had already checked in on his dad. He was better this year and said that Charlie was in the garage.

So, Don made his way to the garage. As another memory popped up in his head.

"Don, go get Charlie. It's time to eat." Alan told his son, setting out three plates instead of four. Margaret was away for two weeks visiting her family, she had already been gone five days now. Since she left, Charlie had been strained and on edge more. He would shut himself up in his room and work more often. Alan had no idea what Charlie was working on, being as it was summer and neither son's were in school.

Don walked up the steps on knocked on Charlie's door. "Hey, Buddy." He said, opening it, "Time to eat."

Charlie didn't look up from his writing. "Alright. Be right down."

Don shook his head, "I'm waiting for you. We'll go down together. Alright?"

Charlie mumbled something under his breath.

"What?" Don asked.

"Mom wouldn't wait for me. She'd trust me to come down." Charlie said, looking up at Don.

"Yeah. I bet she would. But being as you did this type of thing last night at dinner time, we don't trust you as much." Don answered in a stern voice.

Charlie glared at Don, "Mom would understand! You and dad don't! You just don't!" He threw his notebook that he had been writing on across the room. "Get out my room!"

Charlie was scaring Don. He was not acting like himself at all. Nothing like his 12 year old innocent brother. He stared down at Charlie, his anger rising. "I am not leaving unless you come with me!"

"I'm not leaving to spend some time with people who don't understand! No one understands!" Charlie yelled back.

Don glared at his brother, before he could think about what he was doing he had grabbed Charlie by the arms and was dragging him out of his room. "You are going to spend some time with me and dad!"

Charlie struggled under the grasp, "I am not! You can't make me!"

Don's grip tightened as he finally drug Charlie out of his room. He felt Charlie wriggle in pain.

"Donnie!" Charlie sobbed, "You're hurting me!"

Don dropped Charlie. "Oh, God. I didn't mean to!"

Charlie nodded, tears streaming down his face as he rubbed his arms.

Don bent down, "Let me see." Charlie shook his head, holding his arms closer to his body. "Charlie, let me see." He grabbed Charlie's arms and cursed as bruises where already showing up.

Charlie chuckled a bit, "You cussed."

"Yeah. I did." Don agreed. He scratched his head, "I'm sorry that I don't understand you."

Charlie shrugged. "It's alright."

Don patted his brother's knee. "What do you say to eating? Then after dinner I'll teach you how to pitch a baseball. And after it gets to dark to be outside you can teach me something."

Charlie nodded, "Tha'd be great, Donnie."

Don opened the door to the garage quickly. He wanted to get this over with so that he could go home and get drunk. That was his way of coping. Check on family - get them normal. Get drunk. At least, that's what worked last year.

Don noted that when he opened the door, Charlie jumped.

"You alright, Chuck?"

"Not Chuck!" Charlie yelled.

Don had been expecting some extreme version of his brother. And it seemed as if he was right. "Alright." Don nodded slowly, moving cautiously towards his brother. "How are you doing, Buddy?"

"How the fuck do you think I'm doing?!"

Don winced at the word. He had only heard his brother use it one other time.

Don sighed as he made his way to the garage. He had left his dad next to the body. His mother's body.

Don opened the door to the garage, knowing what he would see.

Charlie was covered in white chalk dust, had lost too many pounds, his deep sunken eyes only saw the numbers on the board, and he moved with such erratic behavior.

Yes, Don knew what he would find. But he didn't know what would happen after he found out. "Charlie?" Don found that his voice cracked.

Charlie didn't hear him, he just wrote on the board, speaking numbers.

"Buddy?" Don walked up to his brother who still didn't acknowledge him.

Don watched as Charlie's face filled with a type of fear before he hit himself in the head.

"Charlie!" Don yelled, trying to get a hold of his younger brother.

Charlie kept hitting himself in the head, he was only talking numbers, a never ending string of numbers.

Don finally got a hold of Charlie's arms. "Charlie! Look at me!"

Charlie didn't do it, he tried to move but for some reason it wasn't working. Something was in his way.

Don saw that Charlie's eyes had lost all recognition. "Charlie! Buddy! Come on. Listen to my voice." He felt his brother's arms tremble, fighting against him. "Charlie, it's your brother, Don. Come on." He pleaded. Charlie shook his head, spouting numbers, shaking violently. Don tried to hold him still, but one of Charlie's arms got loose and he hit himself again. Don quickly got a hold of it again. He held Charlie's two arms down with one of his, then he used his other arm to move Charlie's face toward himself. "Charlie!" He watched Charlie's eyes flash between real life and numbers. He tried to appeal to the real one. "Charlie. It's Donnie. I need to talk to you. Buddy. I need you."

That seemed to do it. Charlie looked around, confused. "D-Donnie?" His voice was rough and quiet.

Don smiled sadly. "Hey, Buddy. I-I've got some bad news."

Charlie shook his head and tried to back away from his brother, he didn't want to hear it. But Don still had a grip on Charlie's arms.

"Charlie. Listen to me. Mom sh-she just-"

Charlie cried out. "No!" Don felt some more tremors go through his brother's body. "No!" He finally got out of Don's hold on him and he backed up against the wall and then crawled over to a corner, crying.

Don stared at his brother. He walked over slowly and knelt down beside him. "Buddy. We will get through this together. You, me, and dad. Alright? We've got to help each other." He paused, reaching his arm out, "Let me help you."

"I don't need your fucking help!" Charlie yelled, hitting Don's arm.

Don stumbled back. He didn't know what to do with his brother. His dad might know. His mom would have known. But it was his mom's death that put Charlie in this predicament. Don sighed and did the only thing he could think of, "Alright. I'm going to leave you alone for now, but I'm going to be back soon, and then I'll need your help."

"Charlie, just calm down." Don said, soothingly.

"I don't want to calm down!" Charlie kicked over a stack of books. He then knocked down one of his boards. "I don't want to calm down!" He yelled again, knocking some other stuff over.

Don watched in horror as he brother tore everything down. When Charlie was done with that, and was standing in the middle of the mess, panting, Don spoke up. "Feel better?"

Charlie shook his head, biting on his lip, "No." He said quietly. He sighed and sat down on the ground.

Don saw the tears standing in Charlie's eyes. He felt his own tears doing the same thing. He bent down next to Charlie.

"Want to talk about it?"

"No."

Don sighed. "Want to hear a story?"

"No." Charlie growled at his brother.

"Too bad." Don said, "It'll help me if I tell you." He didn't pause, he didn't let Charlie get a word in. "You were three and I was eight." He was setting up the scene for Charlie, who couldn't help but listen, "We had just found out that you were special and so we had to take you to some kind of facility - I don't remember what kind or what for, but I do remember we rode a train there. You were scared, so we let you pick who you sat beside. Do you know who you picked to sit by?"

"No." Charlie said for the fourth time in a row.

Don smiled, remembering, "Me and mom. You had already started hero worshiping me-"

"I've never hero worshi-" Don stuck his hand over Charlie's mouth.

"No interrupting." Charlie glared at Don. He watched as his brother's anger rose. Don was worried at what Charlie would do, but he found out when he felt pain in his hand, "You bit me!"

Charlie stood up suddenly. "I have to go!" He ran up to his bike and set out.

Don stared in disbelief at his hand, then at the spot where the bike was at. It was his turn to tell Alan what had happened. Unlike that that one time ...

Don did not want to answer his phone. It was probably Charlie calling again. He moved away from LA to get away from them. And ever since he started on his FBI work they had called him more often, especially Charlie.

But Don answered it anyway, "Eppes."

"Donnie." Alan said in a worried tone.

"Hey, Dad. What's up?" Don made his way to his fridge to get a beer.

"Can you come home, right away?"

Don dropped the can of beer, "What? Why?"

"It's Charlie, he-"

"What's wrong with Charlie?" Don asked, worried himself.

"Your mom left town for a bit again. I have no idea where she is going ..." Later they would all find out that she was getting tests done, to see if she had cancer. "And I had trouble with him last time she left ... and, I just. I need help."

Don sighed. He remembered that one time when his mom had left for two weeks. Charlie had trouble with that. He always had trouble when he was separated with her. Don was amazed when she hadn't actually stayed with him throughout all of his years at college. "Alright. I should be there tomorrow."

"Thank you Donnie."

"No problem dad." Don sighed as he hung up the phone. Time to call into work and tell them that he was going to be gone for a few days.

When he was done with that he grabbed the keys to his car. Sure, he could have taken the Red Eye, but that would just mean he was with his dad and brother that much sooner.

He had driven all night. And he showed up at his childhood home around 9 in the morning the next day.

Alan greeted his son with a hug, "Why don't you go inside, I'll bring your stuff in."

Don nodded, yawning and made his way into the house.

He saw some dark curly hair on the couch, Charlie didn't seem that bad. Don sighed and walked in and sat down in the chair across from Charlie.

Don looked at his brother, expecting to be welcomed. But when he started to really look he got worried.

Charlie's eyes were closed and he was swaying a bit.

"Buddy?"

Charlie's eyes peaked open, "Hey, Don." He said quietly. "Please don't talk to loud." His eyes shut again.

Don got up quietly, and went to talk to his father, "Dad? What's wrong with Charlie?"

"He's got a hangover." Alan replied, setting the bags in the house.

Don raised an eyebrow, "Hangover?"

Alan nodded. "He showed up after two last night, drunk as a skunk."

"He got drunk?" Don said in awe. "How long has mom been gone?"

"Today is the third day. She said that she'd be back in another two days."

"Gone for five days?" Don shook his head, "Do you know where she keeps going?"

Alan shook his head, "But I'm worried that Charlie might know. Ever since the first time she did this he started to act different. And after she left this time he started acting real different."

"Like getting drunk." Don shook his head.

"Stop talking about me."

Don and Alan turned and saw Charlie in the room.

"Hey, Buddy. I'm just worried about you."

"Because I got drunk? I'm of legal age Don. I'm an adult. I can make my own decisions."

"I know that, Charlie. But. I mean. I thought you didn't like the taste of alcohol." Don protested.

"I don't." Charlie remarked. He sat down and laid his head on his arms. "Just. Leave me alone. Please."

Alan heard the door open, he looked up, hoping that Don had gotten Charlie out of the garage. But he shook his head sadly as it was only Don.

Alan stared at his eldest. He saw his hand was bleeding, "Donnie! You're hand!"

Don looked at it, "It's alright."

"What happened? Why is your hand bleeding?" Alan asked, getting a rag for the blood.

"Charlie bit me."

Alan dropped the towel, "He what?"

Don sighed and picked up the cloth, putting it up to the bite, "I was telling him a story that I though might help him when he interrupted me. I stuck my hand over his mouth and told him not to say anything. Then he bit me and ran off on his bike." Don paused, "I'm going to go and look for him. You stay here incase he shows up. If he does show up, tell him I'm sorry." He headed out the door.

Alan watched him go, "Alright. I'll tell him." He said to himself.

Don got into his SUV and had an idea as to where Charlie had gone too. So he started driving. He had to turn on his headlights when it got cloudy. He had to turn on his wipers when it started raining. He speed up when it got windy. If Charlie was where Don thought he was, then he would be cold.

Don pulled up to the area where his mother's grave stone was. He grabbed his umbrella in back and made his way to it.

He saw Charlie laying on the ground in front of the stone, in a circle. He was shivering. Don ran up and covered his brother up with his umbrella.

"D-Did I h-hurt y-you D-Don-n-nie?" Charlie asked, shivering. He didn't look up, he kept his eyes closed.

Don knelt down next to his brother on the wet grass, "No, Buddy. You didn't hurt me."

Charlie didn't believe him and he shot his eyes open, "L-Liar. You're wearing a b-b-bandag-ge."

"Charlie. It wasn't that bad. Trust me, I've been through worse." Don chuckled nervously.

Charlie groaned and turned over, away from his brother. "L-Leave me al-l-lone."

"No. You're catch your death out here." Don said. When Charlie didn't reply in any way shape or form except for shiver more, Don's mouth opened sadly. "Oh. God. Buddy? No." He put his hand on Charlie's shoulder. "You promised to tell me." Remembering another time when Charlie got himself sick, just because he wanted to see her again.

It was the holidays after she had died. Alan had gone away one a business trip, leaving Charlie to himself.

Don actually found himself wanting to spend some time with his brother. He blamed the wanting on the point of the holidays.

He got out of his SUV and was actually amazed at how his childhood home looked when it snowed. He was more amazed that it was snowing.

He shrugged and headed inside the warm house. "Hey, Chuck!" He called out.

No one answered him.

"Charlie?" He asked, checking rooms.

No one answered him.

"Buddy?" He was getting frantic now.

No one answered him.

Don saw Charlie's coat still in the house, but no Charlie. Maybe he ran out to the garage? Without a coat? Don shrugged and hoped that his brother was in the garage.

But as soon as he opened the back door, he froze.

And not just from the cold.

There was Charlie. He was laying in the snow, without a coat on. Just jeans and a tee shirt. He didn't even have his socks or shoes on!

Don rushed up to Charlie and noticed that he was still breathing, due to the fact that he could see the breath in the air. "Buddy?" He asked.

The blue eye lids slowly came open. "N-Not-t wh-who I want-ted to s-see."  
Don picked up his brother and made his way in the house. He laid Charlie down on the couch. "Buddy. I'm going to go and get some blankets. Stay right there." Don ran off, he shook his head. Like Charlie could move. He grabbed the blankets and made his way back.

Don carefully put the blankets on his brother, then he got some hot water in a bowl and a wet wash cloth. He sat down next to Charlie. He had to get Charlie warm. "Buddy? Why'd you do that?" He tried to keep his voice soothing. Trying to hide his angry and worry. He took the wash cloth and started taking it through his brother's hair, so that the ice melted.

"W-Want-ted to s-see h-her." Charlie answered, shivering.

Don closed his eyes and sighed. "I know. I do too, but you won't find me trying to kill myself." He answered, moving the wash cloth to Charlie's face. "You could have called me and we would have talked about it."

Charlie tried to chuckle.

Don smiled slightly, "Yeah. I don't see me talking about it." He sighed, "But. I don't know."

"I-It sn-nowed."

"Yes. It did." Don paused, "I want you to promise me something, Charlie. Promise me that before you do anything like this again, that you will talk to me." He awaited an answer, "Promise me."

"P-Promise."

"T-Tel-ll m-me." Charlie said, still outside in the rain and cold.

"Tell you, what?" Don asked, confused. "I don't think I should tell you anything - you didn't keep your promise."

"F-Finish-sh th-th st-tory."

Don smiled sadly, "Not out here. We need to get your inside and warmed up." He thought he saw Charlie's head nod, and that was good enough for him. Don grabbed his brother and helped him up. "Let's get you home."

He led Charlie to the car and they made their way home. Don took off his coat and put it on Charlie. His brother was pale, his curls straight and wet, clinging to his face. He couldn't stop shivering.

"T-Tell m-me. P-Pleas-se."

"Not until you are in bed." Don said, with a glance at his brother.

Charlie glared at Don and he mumbled something under his breath.

"What did you say, Charlie?" Don could tell that Charlie was angry at him. So, when Charlie didn't repeat what he said, Don sighed. "Tell me what you said."

"N-No." Charlie growled as he closed his eyes.

"Tell me." Don said, in his FBI voice.

Charlie cringed at the voice. He never liked being on the receiving end of it. "Y-you can't-t m-mak-ke m-me." He growled.

Don sighed, "You know, you're really moody today." He glanced at his brother, "You've got both me and dad worried about you."

"I-It's hard-d." Charlie said quietly.

Don nodded. "I know. I know." Don noticed that Charlie stopped shaking as bad.

"Y-You do not kn-know!" Charlie yelled, anger flaring. "You do not-t know h-how much I m-miss her! You hav-ve no idea!"

"I do have an idea, Charlie." Don said, trying to keep his voice calm. "I have an idea through your actions. Charlie, whenever mom went away you always started freaking out! And, just, just think about your actions today! You haven't been acting like yourself! And the reason is because mom's gone! Today you are remembering that she's gone and." He sighed, "And you're doing things that you would never do normally. I know that you are having trouble coping."

"And you're cop-ping?" Charlie leered. "Make me and d-dad all better before you get y-yourself drunk? Th-that's better than my coping?"

Don nodded, "Yes. I'm not out in the rain and the wind hoping that I'd catch my death."

It was quiet for a length, then Charlie spoke up.

"Please don't tell dad."

"Tell dad what?" Don asked, pulling into the driveway.

"How bad I got." Charlie's voice seemed distant.

Don sighed, "Alright. But, just try to stick to the promise next time, 'kay?"

"Okay." Charlie sighed.

Don took his umbrella and got out, then he went over to the passenger side of the vehicle and opened the door, "Come on, Buddy. Let's get you inside." He reached out to help his brother, and he had to stop himself before he flinched at the heat that was radiating off Charlie.

Charlie nodded and used Don's help to get him inside the house. "I'm cold." He said as the door opened.

Alan turned and saw Don practically carrying Charlie into the house. "What happened?"

"I found him outside, in the rain." Don said. "He's got a fever now."

Alan rushed up to Charlie, "Yes. You do. Let's get you in bed."

Amazingly Charlie didn't protest, he just let them lead him upstairs to his bed.

"I'll go and make you some soup." Alan said, as he left. Leaving the two brothers together, just like Don had asked him to do.

Don put another blanket on Charlie, "Warm?"

"Thanks." Charlie said, looking down at the floor.

Don smiled and sat down, "No a problem, Buddy. You just rest and get better, 'kay?"

Charlie shook his head, "No."

"No?" Don raised an eyebrow.

"Finish the story."

Don smiled. "Oh, alright. Were did I leave off at?"

"Train. I wanted to sit between you and mom." Charlie snuggled into his bed, waiting for the story to continue.

Don nodded. "Yes. Alright." He got comfortable in the chair. "Dad understood why you wanted to sit next to me and mom, so don't worry about how he felt. Anyway, all day at the facility you were either clinging to me or to mom. Usually it was mom because I didn't want my little brother clinging to my arm.

"The people there wanted to keep you overnight, for observation type things. Mom said that was alright as long as she could stay with you. But then she found out that you had to stay the night by yourself, with them and none of your family members. She protested it so hard. She yelled at them and pleaded, but nothing worked. In the end, she had to leave you with them for one night while the three of us went to a hotel.

"I know that she didn't sleep at all that night. We all had one room and I often heard dad's snores, but I heard her sighs. She would sometimes mutter things to herself, about how you would be safe. It was the first night that you two had been parted. It tore her apart, not being with you.

"So, when ever she left, in later years. And I watched as you started to freak out, I knew that she was probably doing the same thing. You need to realize that right now, she wouldn't want you to be acting like you have been. You understand?"

Don wasn't for sure what was going through his brother's head. He didn't know if there were tears in Charlie's eyes or if it was the fever.

"I remember that night." He spoke slowly. "I kept asking for my family, mostly mom. They tried to calm me down but nothing was working." He paused, "I think I cried myself to sleep that night."

"But, Charlie, do you understand what I'm saying?"

Charlie nodded. "Yes. I think so."

Don patted Charlie's arm, "Good. Get some sleep." He watched over his brother until he knew that Charlie was asleep.

* * *

A year later, Don made his way to his childhood home. Time to do the annual check of the family. 

He just hoped that Charlie was taking it better this year than last year.

He stood in the doorway as Alan walked up and greeted him. "Donnie! Great to see you!"

"How's Charlie?" Don asked, right away.

Alan smiled. "He's at the hospital."

"What?" Don asked, worried, "Why are you smiling? What's going on?"

"Calm down. Charlie isn't hurt. He's volunteering."

"Volunteering? With what?" Don asked, really confused.

"You don't know?" Alan asked. "He's been doing this for ..." he thought. "A year now."

"What?" Don asked, sitting down in a chair.

"He's been visiting the children who have cancer. He's made a lot of friends with them. He looks forward to seeing them." Alan smiled. "You should go and see him with them. It's amazing."

Don nodded, standing up. "Yeah. I think I'll do that." He paused, "You're alright?"

Alan nodded. "Yes. Don't worry. I'm fine."

Don smiled as he left.

* * *

Don walked into the room as quietly as he could. He had no idea what he was going to see, but when he saw it, his couldn't help but smile. 

Charlie was sitting on the ground with five kids sitting in front of him, listening. He had one leaning on his back, playing with his hair and another one his her head resting on Charlie's lap.

Don shut the door and Charlie looked up and smiled. He whispered something to the kids who all laughed.

"What are you all talking about?" Don asked, sitting down next to Charlie.

All the kids laughed again. Charlie was smiling as well. "Hey, Don."

"You two don't look like brothers." A little boy voiced up.

"They do too!" A different boy yelled back.

"Do not!" The first one pushed.

"Do too!" He pushed back.

"Nick. Lex." Charlie said firmly.

"Sorry, Charlie."

"Yeah. Sorry."

Don was amazed, the kids listened to Charlie.

"It's alright." He paused, "Let's take a poll. Everyone close your eyes." He waited for them all to have their eyes closed, "Raise your hand if you think Don and I look like brothers." Four hands shot up. "Alright. Hands down. Now, raise your hand if you think we don't look like brothers." Three hands shot up. "Okay. Hands down. You can open your eyes now." They all did as they were told. "Four out of seven of you think we look like brothers. Three out of seven don't. Can anyone tell me which group won?"

"I can." Said the girl on Charlie's lap.

"Alright, Alissa. Which group?"

"The group that thinks you both look like brothers."

"Very good." Charlie smiled down at her.

Alissa blushed. "I don't see why the others don't think that you don't look like brothers."

"The hair." Nick said. "Charlie's hair is curly."

"But that doesn't mean that they aren't brothers!" Lex yelled back.

"Don, will you sit between Nick and Lex." Charlie asked pleasantly.

The two boys groaned. "We're sorry. We won't fight again."

The girl who was on Charlie's back whispered something in his ear. He laughed as she continued to play with his hair.

Don wondered what she had told him. He'd have to ask him later. He felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Lex there. "Yeah?"

"Is it true?"

"Is what true?" Don asked.

"That you're a super hero?"

Don blinked at the little boy. "Who told you that I was a super hero?"

"Charlie did." Lex said, pointing to Charlie who was busy talking with the two girls sitting on him.

"He did?" Don asked, raising an eyebrow.

Lex nodded. "Yes. He said that you're a special agent and that you've saved the whole city a lot. And that you're also saved Charlie a lot."

Don nodded. "Yes. I have."

Don was taken aback when Lex hugged him tight and whispered in his ear. "Thank you for saving him."

* * *

Leaving the hospital Don grabbed a sucker from a nurse's station. "You know, Charlie," He started to unwrap the candy, "I had no idea that you did this." 

Charlie nodded. "I know. I didn't tell you."

"Why not?"

Charlie shrugged. "I don't know. I just didn't."

"That kid, Lex." Don said, "He said that you told them that I was a super hero." Charlie blushed. "You know what I told him? I told him that my brother is a super hero too."

Charlie stopped walking, "You did? I-I'm not a super hero ..."

"Yes you are. Since you started consulting with us the crime rate has fallen dramatically. That's thanks to you." Don smirked, "You know, now dad knows that you are good with children. Now all you need is a girl friend and you will have rekindled dad's hope for grandkids."

Charlie returned the smirk, "How do you know I don't already have a girlfriend." he looked past Don and waved to someone.

Don turned and saw a nurse blow Charlie a kiss. Don's eyes widened, his mouth fell open.

Charlie looked at his brother and shook his head happily, he reached up and closed Don's mouth. "That was rude. Now she's going to think that my brother is a retard."

Don couldn't help but stare at her as she walked away into a room. "She's hot." He said, sounding confused.

"Don't sound so baffled, Don." Charlie said, starting to walk towards the door. "I would have never meet her if it wasn't for you."

Don hurried up at his brother who was already outside in the parking lot, "Please explain that."

"What you said to me last year. About what mom would want me to do. That's when I started volunteering in the children's cancer ward. I met her there. So, it's all thanks to you." Charlie answered, getting into his car and driving off.

Don smiled and shook his head. Yes, this year Charlie took the anniversary much better than last year. This was definitely a memory he would want to keep.


End file.
